Your favorite card issues - as far as backs
 

Sometimes card backs don't get the recognition they deserve. What are some of your favorite card backs? Here are a couple that immediately come to mind....and I believe I traded both to board members last year.


http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/v...ogersfront.jpg
http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/v...nunamakerf.jpg

Not prewar, but I am partial to the 1971 Topps/OPC

???
 

I know this will be an unpopular post BUT, I really don't and never have, understood the attraction to card backs. I thought we collected the photos of the baseball players on the front, not the advertising on the back? I will never understand why someone would care what the back looks like, although I guess I can see some appreciation for the artwork, colors etc. But not enough to change what or why I collect, the ball players on the front. If all cards were issued with blank backs, would anyone not collect cards? Forgive my ignorance and I certainly don't wish to demean anyone's collecting decisions, I just felt I finally needed to ask the question and this seemed a reasonable place to do it. Thanks for listening.

Tony -

I understand many are not into the backs. Most issues I'm the same...it's the front the matters. But there are a few issues where I just find the backs to be pretty cool. For me it all started when I was into the T206 set and started really focusing on backs and that just kind of branched out.

That's cool, I tried it also with T206s, I just couldn't get into it. I guess to answer the question, I always thought the Red Sun back was really neat looking.

Personally
 

Personally I love collecting the backs. I like them MORE than the fronts. I don't know why...maybe it's because it's how many of them are identified or, because of them, it makes some far more scarce than others. I have just always enjoyed it. My first back collecting was the M101-4/5's....then the E94 Overprints then...the list goes on...

The back of this one makes it arguably the best T207 in the hobby. With a more common back it's still a nice card but not the special one that the Red Cross makes it. Again, it's like chocolate and vanilla. To each their own.

I like collecting backs...as well as fronts...and the ones I like best are the ones that are very colorful...or ornate...like:

red hindu, red sun, mono, t214 victory, t215 pirate...

Additionally without the back...in a lot of cases...we wouldn't know what set a card is from?!

http://photos.imageevent.com/uffda51...bin%20back.JPG
http://photos.imageevent.com/uffda51...tty%20back.JPG
http://photos.imageevent.com/uffda51...ell%20back.JPG

I'm a collector of backs primarily as they relate to type cards. Most of the sets I collect have identical backs (N28) or blank backs (N300).

Card back favorites
 

I love the two back varieties of the 1933 World Wide Gum set, English only and French/English.

John

Being the worst speller on net54, I've always enjoyed these.
Misspelling "Pugilistic" is bad enough, but misspelling your companies name takes it to a new level.

Attachment 21717

I love the Mello-Mints, Red Suns and many others, but these are my favorites.
JimB

http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/7...7gillespie.jpg


http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/5...cksrotated.jpg

Back collecting was an acquired taste that took me a while to acquire. When I started in the Hobby it was all about the pictures on the front but gradually I have come to appreciate the graphics on the reverse that are evocative of the historic context, often depicted beautifully, that the ballplayers of yesteryear lived and played in.
Some really great backs posted already. The Red Suns, of course, are a favorite (never noticed the misspelling before), Jim B.'s OJs are glorious, and gotta get me one of them cool Gertenrichs. Some others that are worthy of cardboard love:
http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...ze/Latham1.jpg http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...ze/Latham2.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...%20Murray1.jpg http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...%20Murray2.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...ze/DMcD002.jpg http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...ze/DMcD003.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...0McCredie1.jpg http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...0McCredie2.jpg

The T3 ad back is a classic & so large you can display it nicely

http://www.qualitycards.com/pictures/t3cl3.jpg

I make sure I get all the fronts but to me its all about the backs

Attachment 21729

Attachment 21730

Attachment 21731

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I really can't rmember if I have shared this or not but there had been some discussion in the past about whether that was Lou Gertenrich himself on the back of his own baseball card set. It certainly looks like the other images of Lou. This would be a bit significant as Gertenrich was never actually pictured on any cards himself during his playing career which spanned from 1901-1905, so in a way his card back would actually be the closest thing Lou would have to an individual card (for those needing a card of every player to appear in a major league game).

Anyways, here is the full-sized image that was used on the back of the card, notice that it is actually a batting shot that they airbrushed out the bat to make it appear like a throwing shot...

http://starsofthediamond.com/gertenrich2.JPG
http://starsofthediamond.com/gertenrich.JPG

Anyways, I thought it would be a cool addition to this thread.
-Rhett

Really like the writing style on the backs of Diamond Kings. Just like the card front, the backs capture the flavour of the era

I think the backs of T202's are pretty interesting. It's fun to get a write up on three players at one time.

Postwar, '89 Upper Deck stands alone. Those are some beautiful cards

Polar Bear's simple, yet bold color scheme makes it my #1 favorite. The N167 backs are a close second.

backs
 

With Jay, it's the T3 ad back.
I loved it so much that i had to get the gorgeous turkey red pack to go with it.
by the way, it's good seeing you back on board,dave!!!
missed seeing my old Atlanta--'Emory' bud!

best,
barry

I agree with David above, my attraction to the backs of prewar cards hinges mostly on historical context. I like seeing the ads of companies that have had a historical impact on America. I also like reading the backs that tell me something about the player pictured, not just stats.

I echo what Leon said earlier in this thread, ...
 

except for where he said he likes the backs "MORE" than the fronts. I like the backs JUST AS MUCH as the fronts. Sometimes the backs are neater, IMO, than the depictions of the players on the fronts, such as for these two cards:
Val

E286 Ju-Ju Drum

Rhett-

Wow, that's great...I hadn't seen that before. And 14 out of 17 since returning? Geez...what a start to a comeback (although he didn't do much after that)

While I don't presume to know what "we" collect...I can tell you that "I" was able to enjoy some very stormy Summer days as a kid by reading card backs. I attribute that fact that numbers usually come easy to me from those afternoons.

Unfortunately, the cards I read as a kid are well outside the scope of this board, so I won't bother elaborating about them. Within the scope of Net54, I do like some of the more elaborate back designs, like Red Sun.

1956 Topps has a great back design--love the cartoons...

Prewar--T206 brands take the cake in my book.

I'm partial to the Red Sun and Polar Bear backs.

t206 backs
 

Jim!!!
Wow!!!

:)

T205 backs and the Bios and stats on them